Boy, the Berkshires are beautiful. It's not like I didn't go to college here for four years, but when you return as a tourist and on a perfect summer day, it's a very different experience.
We arrived in Williamstown yesterday in time to take a long walk around campus. We felt just like stuffy old foggies as we expressed our disapproval for all the changes that had been made, i.e. ugly modern buildings next to the brick, ivy-covered edifices we were more used to.
We barely dodged getting drenched by a brief but violent thunderstorm. Then we went to the Clark Art Institute. There was a show exploring the influence of the artist Arthur Dove on Georgia O'Keefe. Honest to God, we are not SUCH old foggies, but we preferred the permanent collection, particularly the impressionists.
Last night we saw a production of "The Children" at the Williamstown Theater Festival (which goes by its initials WTF which cracks me up). It turns out the playwright, A.R. Gurney, is a Williams alum. The drama is suggested by the John Cheever story, "Goodbye, My Brother," and it takes place on the terrace of a summer house on an island off the New England coast.
There's nothing like watching a dysfunctional family drama with your sis to spark some great conversation, particularly when we had differing perspectives on the ne'er-do-well brother.
I haven't mentioned our meals, but they have been plentiful. A sister trip in which you visit a place from both of your pasts while you rake over your own family history could be a play in itself. But I've already written enough this morning....
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